Police claim to have reduced crime in the West Midlands by almost HALF in a decade.

The force hailed new figures showing a 12 per cent fall in offences last year, including burglaries and robberies.

Police chiefs said the number of victims had been cut by 23,000 to 170,721 and claimed total crime was now ‘roughly half the level it was a decade ago’.

Anti-gang operations have been highlighted as helping reduce offences.

In the last year police have raided 100-plus addresses of gang suspects. Firearms have been seized and convictions secured against more than 40 gang members, while pubs linked to gang activity have been closed down. Tens of thousands of youngsters across the region have also seen a presentation designed to steer them away from gang culture.

The Precious Lives project features a moving talk from Marcia Shakespeare, mother of Aston shootings victim Letisha Shakespeare, one of two innocent teens killed in 2003 by gang members.

The 16-year-old was stabbed to death as she sat on a bus in the city centre.

Mrs Rowe said: “We’ve witnessed some terrible crimes recently in the West Midlands, none more so than the fatal stabbing of teenager Christina Edkins as she made her way to school. No-one can overstate the devastating impact these incidents have on friends and family, and we appreciate the concern they spark in communities.

“However, it’s important these shocking attacks are viewed in context: crimes involving knives are down massively in the last decade (down 75 per cent) and are now mercifully rare. It’s easy to read about such terrible crimes and believe crime is on the up – but in reality crime is down... and down considerably.’’

The 11.7 per cent drop in crime was recorded between April 2012 and March 2013 when compared to the previous 12 months.